1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

Large enterprises are mostly not very agile , change is not easy and I think as a senior executive the most challenging part in today’s ever changing world that we live in would be that of taking that decision to adapt or not.


2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I was fortunate to work with mentors who believed in building leadership capacity within the organisation. I was hand picked (because they identified my potential early) and trained to grow in a step by step process to lead. Starting with a small vertical to a large division to a zone then transitioning to manage the country and now handling a global role came with its own challenges , struggles but most importantly learnings which inculcated as life learning within me.


3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

For me early rising is critical and an important part of my life. I get up by 6 AM irrespective of the day and I am on my own / self love for the next one hour (it's a detox for me) No mobile/ no gadgets just me and my thoughts.
7AM I check my mobile/ email to see if there is any important messages to respond and then plan my day
7.30 AM Shower and soon after that wake up kids and spend 15 minutes with them and understand their schedule for the day.
8 AM Breakfast and 8.30 AM into email and respond to any important emails or snooze emails for evening, if it's not important and check the calendar for the scheduled calls for the day. (Everage 6/7 calls in a day)

2 PM Lunch with kids and family if at home or with colleagues if working from the office.

Keep one hour for all follow ups during the day and respond to the snooze emails.

4.30 PM to 5 PM I am off work and go for a walk with my wife, sometimes kids join.

6 PM Tea and 7PM to 8.30 PM Team reviews/ daily connect and then my laptop goes switched off until the next day.

Dinner at 9 and off to bed latest by 10 PM


4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

Pandemic has been a teacher. There are many vital leadership lessons that I embraced, however the most recent one I can think of and which I am proud of is how my team was able to take a vital decision (without my influence) which eventually will help the employees and the organisation alike. Why it’s important and why I am proud about it is that I am a firm believer of empowering people around me and it taking shape and giving me results is what I am excited about and is a strong leadership lesson that all leaders should adopt.


5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

John C Maxwell writes “The pessimist complains about the wind, The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”

I take this life lesson seriously and apply them to my fullest as a leader.
To answer the question the book that inspired me the most is “Developing the Leader Within You” by John C Maxwell


6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

Nurturing internal talent to become leaders of tomorrow is very important for me, hence this question is close to my heart as I am a strong believer of building effective leadership capacity. Today’s challenge is that senior leaders usually have great depth but little or no breadth across the organisation. The need of the hour would be to promote people who can demonstrate the capacity to think more broadly , thinking big and creating synergies should be the mantra and subject matter expertise should come in only second to this. It is also important to realise that transforming leadership is a long term goal.


7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

A team member had consistent performance issues and we were on the verge of losing him (a leader’s toughest call) as a torch bearer of open door policy. I had kept him aware of the outcome. He knew he was stuck at a wrong job and he needed a change in his career. This career guidance was a real eye opener for him and he worked hard to learn and build skills for the change. Today he is a leader in his own field and always looks up to me and shares this story as a motivation for people who struggle in their jobs and I look up to him for his achievements. The take away from me is that your team members need your support and unbiased view helping them accelerate their career growth in roles where they fit well.